Kerala unit of Janata Dal (S) officially merges with Indian Socialist Janata Dal (ISJD)

The Kerala unit of the Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] officially merged with the newly-formed Indian Socialist Janata Dal (ISJD) here on Saturday.

The merger is a culmination of the differences that cropped up between the State and national leadership of the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The Kerala unit had unanimously rejected the decision of its party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mathew T. Thomas, MLA and State president of the JD(S), said that the ISJD will continue as an ally of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala. We will continue to oppose both the BJP and the Congress, he said.

Mr. Thomas, who will be the president of the ISJD, said that the merger decision was taken jointly by the State leaders of the JD(S). Mr. Thomas also refuted apprehensions over whether the two MLAs of the party, including him and K. Krishnankutty, Minister for Electricity, would invite disqualification following the merger.

He said that the anti-defection law exempts legislators from disqualification, if their original party merges with another, provided at least two-thirds of the members of the legislature party agree to the merger. Though there were reports that former party MLA Jose Thettayil was not in favour of the merger, he turned up for the meeting and endorsed the decision of the State leadership.

The JD(S)’s continued association with the LDF and its participation in the Kerala government had become an embarrassment for the LDF, particularly in light of the party’s national leadership being aligned with the BJP. The contradiction had also triggered internal conflicts within the JD(S) over its dual political stance.